The present invention relates to structures wherein soil may be conditioned and a wide variety of plants may be started, grown and dried over an extended season; more particularly, the invention relates to planter structures wherein a single element or module may be used individually, that is, as a stand-alone structure, or in combination with various other elements to add to the utility and versatility of the structure.
It is often desirable for a variety of reasons to plant and grow vegetables, flowers, and other growing plants in some sort of planter structure as well as directly into the ground. In some instances it may be advantageous for the planter structure to be movable from place to place, e.g., between indoor and outdoor locations, positions in and out of direct sunlight, etc. Trellis structures are often used to provide support for climbing plants, and/or as a structure for supporting lighting, shading and other devices to enhance plant growth; it is also useful to provide such structure for selective use in combination with planter structure. It is also advantageous to be able to control temperature, lighting, moisture, wind and pests and extend the growing season.
In a general sense, the object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved, highly versatile, yet simple planter structure which is quickly and readily adaptable to a variety of uses and conditions, and which may be easily disassembled for compact shipping and storage. One of the more specific objects of the invention is to provide a planter which may quickly and easily be moved from one location to another with several structural elements intact and without disturbing any plants or soil in the planter structure. Another object is to provide a trellis structure which may be selectively attached to or removed from planter elements, for use independently or in cooperation with the planter structure. A further object is to provide a planter structure which is subject to a wide variety of modification in terms of the materials enclosing, protecting and/or contributing to the growth of the contents of the planter structure, and which may also function to enclose, protect and contribute to the growth of plantings directly in the soil of a typical garden. Still another object is to provide a planter including a base and a plurality of structural elements optionally and alternatively placed into and out of cooperative relationship with the base and/or with one another to selectively modify the utility of the planter.
Other objects and advantages will be set forth and explained further at the conclusion of the following detailed description, and still others will be obvious to those skilled in the art.
The basic element of the planter structure of the present invention is a base in the nature of a box-like structure having four walls, rigidly connected by means of corner posts having upper and lower surfaces in common planes spaced slightly below the common panes of the upper and lower edges, respectively, of the four walls. The base structure is open at both the top and bottom with downwardly projecting elements attached to each of the corner posts. The base may be filled to a desired level with soil and used as a stand-alone element, with the downwardly projecting elements penetrating the underlying soil or other material to anchor the base in a fixed position. The base, as well as certain other components, may also be placed, without additional soil, over plantings in the ground or in other soil containers and be used as a cold-frame type device. The base includes internal structure for supporting other, optionally used elements in predetermined relation. If mobility of the base is desired it may be placed atop a dolly device and removably secured thereto by means of pins extending through the downwardly projecting elements on the base. The dolly includes a flat plate with cut-outs at the four corners, fitted with small wheels or casters. Cross pieces are affixed to the lower surface of the plate. When the base is placed atop the dolly, the comer posts fit into the cutouts in the dolly plate with the plate closely surrounded by the base side and end walls and the lower edges of the base side walls resting upon the cross pieces. Rope loops are attached to the cross pieces at each end for manually towing or lifting the dolly and base.
One element, in addition to the dolly, which may be selectively placed in cooperative relation with the base is an open-ended, four-sided frame, having essentially the same structure as the base, but of lesser height. This element, termed an extension box, may be placed upon and removably secured to the upper end of the planter base, thereby effectively increasing the height of, and potential soil depth within, the planter, i.e., the combined base and extension box. The extension box may also be used independently of, and in the same ways as, the base, including cooperative use with other elements. Both the planter base and extension box have internal structure by which a trellis may be optionally supported and releasably secured. Preferred forms of trellis are disclosed for independent use or for releasable attachment to either base or extension box and selective adjustment of the vertical angle of the trellis with respect thereto.
A further, optionally usable element termed a xe2x80x9cpanel framexe2x80x9d may be used independently or may be placed atop either a base, extension box or another panel frame. The panel frame includes four comer posts with end walls of transparent plastic or other rigid material affixed to each pair of end walls. Spacer members hold the two end walls in spaced relation and form, with the comer posts, open sides. A pair of removable panels, interchangeable with other panels of different material, may be slidingly inserted into grooves in opposed, spaced surfaces of the comer posts to form the side walls. A lid, comprising a rigid, four-sided frame surrounding a removable panel of transparent, transluscent, opaque or screen material may be placed atop any of the base, extension box or panel frame in either sealed or spaced relation thereto. The panel frame may be fitted with vertically spaced, open racks and used as a solar drying or dehydrating device. Other optional combinations of elements include,among others, artificial growing lights suspended from the trellis structure, hydroponic apparatus in the base, self-watering devices, and sheets of porous cloth for lining the base, wrapping the lid, and/or covering the trellis and plants thereon.
The foregoing and other features of construction and operation of the planter structure of the invention will be more readily understood and fully appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, to which reference is now made.